British man arrested after model’s body found in suitcase
- Jul 1
- 3 min read
A British stalker has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a Colombian model and stuffing her body inside a suitcase.
Matthew Ashley Foster-Smith, 46, from Bournemouth, was arrested by police in connection with the death of Natalia Villalba, 36, whose body was found in the bathroom of an apartment in Bogotá on Monday.
Dorset Police assisted with the investigation after Ms Villalba's remains were found inside a grey plastic suitcase underneath a running shower in her rented apartment in the upmarket neighbourhood of Chapinero.
Investigators said that Ms Villalba, who also worked as a graphic designer, had booked the flat for four days between June 3 and June 7 with a US national from Texas.
She is believed then to have extended her stay for another fortnight.
Foster-Smith, who has convictions for stalking, was taken into custody at Quito International Airport in Ecuador on Friday, where he was placed in handcuffs.
He is believed to have crossed the Rumichaca Bridge on Colombia's south-western border and fled to Ecuador the day before police discovered Ms Villalba's body.
A well-placed source told the Colombian press: "He was trying to buy a ticket to Europe and was apparently located via the telephone calls he made from there."
CCTV footage from the apartment captured Foster-Smith arriving at the flat on June 17 and leaving the next day.
He was reportedly filmed taking bedsheets to be washed in a laundry room inside the building.
When police searched the apartment, they found an American and a British passport, which later led them to identify Foster-Smith as a suspect.
Interpol, the international police organisation, confirmed that a Red Notice had been issued by Colombian authorities for Foster-Smith, asking police forces around the world to arrest him on sight.
Claudia Villalba, the victim's mother, said she last spoke with her daughter on June 16, six days before she was found dead.
In an interview with Colombia's Caracol Radio, Mrs Villalba described her daughter as a "hard-working and determined woman" who strived to improve her lot in life.
Carlos Fernando Galán, Bogotá's mayor, thanked police for securing Foster-Smith's arrest on Friday. Writing on social media, he also revealed that Dorset Police had assisted in the operation.
"Yesterday afternoon, once an arrest warrant had been issued by a judge and the Red Notice for his international arrest had been activated, the task force launched the operation to detain him," he said. "In Bogota, if you commit the crime, you pay the price."
Foster-Smith was first sentenced in October 2020 to 18 months in prison for stalking his partner and threatening to attack her with an axe, writing in a message: "If I'm going to get banged up, let's make it worth it."
Bournemouth Crown Court heard how he repeatedly breached a non-molestation order by attending her gym at the same time as her, and that he "made sure he was seen" by his victim over "a long period".
After his release, he began stalking another woman in her 40s by loitering outside her workplace, and engineering "chance" meetings with her in public.
Jailed for two years
Dorset Police publicly warned people not to approach Foster-Smith and to call 999 if they saw him after he was charged with stalking in September 2024.
Foster-Smith skipped bail and went on the run for a month before police tracked him to London where he was arrested.
During an appearance at Bournemouth Crown Court, Foster-Smith was sentenced to two years and two months on Oct 22, 2025.
Det Con Thomas Norman said at the time that Foster-Smith's second victim "continued to live in fear", and that her life had been "destroyed" by his behaviour.
Foster-Smith has listed himself as a "doctor" in the accounts of various failed businesses, and has been described as such by news outlets covering his prosecution.
However, when The Telegraph contacted the General Medical Council to verify if he ever qualified or practised as a doctor, a spokesman said they had no record of him.
It is unclear whether Foster-Smith has obtained an academic or professional doctorate.
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